Timer for container manufacturing machines



A ril 14, 1959 a. H. KOOB 2,881,803

TIMER FOR CONTAINER MANUFACTURING MACHINES Filed March 21, 1955 4Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Bernard 6/ Koob April 14, B. H. KOOB TIMER FOR CONTAINER MANUFACTURINGMACHINES Filed March 21, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

Bernard /9( Koob A ril 14, 1959 B: H. KOOB 2,881,803

TIMER FOR CONTAINER MANUFACTURING MACHINES Filed March 21, 1955 4Sheets-Sheet 3 N JNVENTOR.

April 14, 1959 B. H. KOOB 2,381,803

TIMER FOR CONTAINER MANUFACTURING MACHINES Filed March 21, 1955 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Tq A LE1 will/l, I '5! 37 8% u a, as 35 IIIIIIII'" IN VENTOR. 4| 'iIll||||||| ,Bernqr-q fiob 3/ 23 }AMW w /0 nited States PatentTIMER FOR CONTAINER MANUFACTURIN MACHIVES Bernard H Koch, AndersonTownship, Madison County, Ind., assignor to Lynch Corporation, Anderson,Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application March 21, 1955, Serial No.495,430 6 Claims. (Cl. 137-634) This invention relates to a timer forpneumatically operated machines such as container manufacturing machinesfor forming plastic bottles and the like or glassware, etc.

One object of the invention is to provide a timer so designed that theoperation of the timing valves thereof is initiated by a timer drum andthe valves thereafter operate at a predetermined speed independent ofthe speed of the timing drum, thereby making the adjustment of the timera simpler job and more reliable inasmuch as, regardless of the speed ofthe drum, the valve will operate at substantially the same angularposition of the drum instead of sooner when the drum rotates fast, andlater when it rotates slower, as in the usual type of timer.

Another object is to provide a timer that includes valve actuators whichare moved by the timer drum to predetermined positions whereupon theyquickly complete their movement, always at the same speed independent ofthe drum speed, to either turn the valve on or off, thus correlating theposition of actuation of the valve more closely to the angle indicatinggraduations on the timer drum.

Still another object is to provide an arrangement in which there aredual sets of valve actuating buttons, one to turn the valve on and theother to turn it off, and each one merely moves a valve actuator to apredetermined position slightly over-center so that an over-center ortoggle spring may complete the movement of the valve to either the on oroff position quickly, independent of the speed of rotation of the timerdrum.

A further object is to provide a valve arrangement which may directlycontrol pneumatically operated instrumentalities of a containermanufacturing machine or the like without the timer actuating merelypilot valves which through spool valves actuate the mechanisms, thusconsiderably reducing the parts involved in a complete operatingmachine.

Still a further object is to provide a valve actuator comprising a slidehaving a pair of toggle levers for actuating the same, the slide beingconnected by a lost motion connection to the valve and a timer drumbeing provided with an on button and an off button for coacting with therespective toggle levers to slide the slide in one direction uponcoaction of the on button with one of the levers, and in the otherdirection upon coaction of the 011 button with the other lever.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of mytimer for container manufacturing machines, whereby the objects abovecontemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointedout in my claims and illustrated in detail on the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a timer embodying my present invention withportions broken away and other portions shown in horizontal section;

Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views of hell cranks t I erally at V. Eachvalve which are used to actuate valves of the timer from on and off"buttons of a timer drum of my timer;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation partly in vertical section through the timerdrum and partly in vertical section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 showingdetails of the timer;

Fig. 5 is a continuation of the lower end of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detailed vertical sectional viewon the line 66 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view on the line 7-7 of Fig.4 showing the details of one of the timer valves, the valve being shownin the off position the same as Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a view thereof similar to Fig. 1 and on the same scale showingthe valve still in the off position, but the mechanism for actuating iton the move toward on" position;

Fig. 9 is a plan view mechanism therefor still position;

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing the parts in the final onposition of the valve; and

Fig. 11 is a horizontal sectional view on a reduced scale, showing amodified timing drum construction.

On the accompanying drawings I have used the reference numeral 15, toindicate a suitable base on which my timer is mounted. A manifold 16 inthe form of a vertical cylinder extends upwardly therefrom, having abottom end 17 and a top end 18 welded thereto. A boss 19 is welded onone side of the manifold 16 adjacent the lower end thereof to receive acompressed air inlet pipe 20 and a. moisture drain plug 21 (see Fig. 5).

I show a timer drum in the form of a vertical cylinder 22 having abottom end 23 and a top end 24 welded therein. The ends 23 and 24 arealso welded to a vertical drive shaft 25 rotatable in a lower bearing 26and an upper bearing 27 (see Figs. 5 and 4, respectively). The bearing27 is mounted on a frame member 28, while the bearing 26 is mounted onthe base 15.

Adjacent the lower hearing I provide a drive sprocket 29. Any suitablemeans such as an electric motor and a variable speed drive (not shown)may be operatively connected to the sprocket 29 by a suitable chain(also not shown) for driving the timer at the various speeds desired toform glassware or the like of various sizes.

Adjustably associated with the drum 22 are a plurality of valveactuating buttons--on buttons 30 and off buttons 31. These buttons havethreaded shanks 32 threaded into inner shoes 33 after passing throughperforations of outer shoes 34. The inner and outer shoes 33 and 34 arelocated between vertically spaced flanges 86 extending outwardly fromthe drum 22 and terminating in peripheral enlargements 87. The upper andlower edges of the shoes 33 and 34 frictionally engage theseenlargements, the shoes 34 being shouldered to fit between theenlargements and thereby align the shoes. Obviously, when the on or offbuttons 30 or 31 are tightened they will retain the shoes frictionallyin a desired position and may be changed in position by loosening thebuttons and shifting the shoes to the desired angular positionsindicated by graduations 78 and a pointer 79. The graduations 78 extendthe full length of the timer drum, being located on the outer surfacesof the enlargements 87 and the angular degrees being indicated as shownon the upper left corner of the timer drum in Fig. 4. The shoes 34 areprovided with vertical marks to coact with the graduations 78.

A vertical valve boss 36 is welded to the manifold 16 and tapped atvertically spaced intervals for supporting elbows 37. Each elbowsupports a valve shown gen- V comprises an inner sleeve 38 as best shownin Fig. 7 provided at its ends with male of the valve and the actuatingon the move toward on threads 39 and ,40 to coast with the elbows 37 andwith fittings 84 of supply pipes 51. The inner sleeve 38 has a partition41 and on opposite sides thereof exhaust ports 42 and supply ports 43.

An outer sleeve 44 is slidable on the inner sleeve 38 and includes anend cap 45 connected therewith by means of threads indicated at 46. Theouter sleeve 44 has an actuating projection 47 and is packed relative tothe inner sleeve 38 by packing rings 48 and 49 held in position by aspring 50.

A valve actuator shown generally at A is provided for each valve V andincludes a cross bar 52,- a head 53 having an elongated socket 54therein for the projection 47, and a pair of steps 55. The socket 54provides a lost motion connection between the actuator and the valve.Slots 56 are provided in the steps 55 for the purpose which willhereinafter appear.

A slide 57 is slidable in guide slots 58 of a mounting bracket 59. Theslide 57 as shown in Fig. 6 has a notch 82 therein to receive the crossbar 52 of the valve actuator A and the cross bar is retained therein bya screw 81. The mounting bracket 59 has a groove 60 therein to locatethe bracket in respect to a vertical angle 61 which is part of theframework of the timer. The angle 61 is secured to a vertical framemember 62 extending upwardly from the base 15. A holding clip 63 and aclamp screw 64 provide means to hold the mounting bracket 59 at adesired elevation with respect to the angle 61 and permits adjustment ofthe actuator A vertically to accommodate the valve V and the actuatingbuttons 30 and 31 therefor in an obvious manner.

The mounting bracket 59 has a plate-like extension 65 carrying a pivotstud 66. on bell crank 70 and an o bell crank 71 are pivotally mountedthereon. The bell cranks 70 and 71 are identical except one is turnedover relative to the other as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Each has a longarm 72 and a short arm 73. The bend of the bell crank is provided with apivot bore 67 and the long end with a pin hole 68. A pin 69 is pressedtherein as shown in Fig. 4 and the lower ends of these pins ride in theslots 56 of the steps 55 of the actuators A while. their upper ends areconnected together by over-center springs 74. The bends of the bellcranks are bifurcated as shown at 75 in Figs. 2 and 3 so as to interfitwith each other as shown in Figs. 4 and 6 on the pivot studs 66.

While one valve and one actuator together with its associated actuatingmechanism has been described, it is obvious that there is provided a setof all these members for each of the grooves between the flanges 86 ofthe timer drum 22.

Practical operation Referring to Fig. 1, the valve V is shown in the offposition. It is being held in that position by the overcenter spring 74tending to draw the pins 69 toward each other and thereby to pull theactuator A downwardly in this figure inasmuch as the pivot 66 isstationary. The outer sleeve 44 of the valve V is accordingly againstthe hexagon part 83 of the valve under the bias of the spring and airfrom the supply pipe is being bled to atmosphere as indicated by thearrows a and b in Fig. 7. The supply line 51 may extend to a suitablecompressed air operated mechanism of a glass making machine or the likeso that the valve in the off position of Fig. 7 bleeds the air therefromto atmosphere.

The on pin 30 has just engaged the on bell crank 70 in Fig. 1 with whichit is in vertical alignment (the off button 31 being in alignment withthe oil bell crank 71, and the drum 22 rotating clock-wise).

Engagement of the on button 30 with the short arm 73 of the on bellcrank 70 will move the bell cranksto a central position (pins 69 andpivot 60 all in alignment) and slightly after that position as shown inFig. 8 the spring will have passed over center so as to throw theactuator A the rest of the distance in the on direction.

As shown in Fig. 8, the upper limit of the socket 54 has departed fromthe projection 47 and its lower limit has not reached this projectionbecause of the lost motion connection. Since the spring 74 has passedovercenter (the axis of the pin 69 being above the axis of the pivot 66on the drawing) the spring will contract and throw the actuator the restof the way as to the position shown in Fig. 9. When the lower limit ofthe socket 54 engages the projection 47, just after the over-centerposition has been passed, it will start sliding the outer sleeve 44 ofthe valve V from the position of Fig. 8 and the spring will carry theactuator the rest of the way to the position shown in Fig. 9 and movethe outer sleeve .4 away from the hexagon 83 until it stops against thehexagon 84 as in Fig. 10.

Thus, the valve is quickly actuated from one position to the other onceit is started toward that position by the spring passing over-center. Iam thus assured that the valve will be actuated always at the sameangular position of the timing drum independent of the speed ofrotationof the drum and this will occur in very narrow limits (the timeof movement from the position shown in Fig. 9 to the position shown inFig. 10 being but a minor percentage of the rotation of the drum). Informer timers, where the valve is moved in proportion to the movement ofa cam, this was not possible.

After the valve is moved to the on position of Fig. 10, the off button31 shown in Fig. 9 engages the short arm 73 of the off lever 71 and,since this lever is reversed, relative to the on lever, the movement ofthe actuator A is now downward under the action of this button until thespring passes over-center and then the valve is quickly moved back tothe initial off position shown in Fig. 1.

As shown in the Bridges Patents Nos. 2,254,992 and 2,307,564 there aremany instrumentalities on a glass making machine requiring accuratetiming as to their actuation and cessation of actuation with respect tothe cycle of operations of the machine represented by one completerotation of the drum 22. Each of these operations can be set on my timerby the proper angular adjustment of the on and off buttons 30 and 31,with respect to the drum, and with the aid of the graduations 78 and thepointer 79 in an obvious manner. My type of timer also eliminates thenecessity of spool valves such as disclosed in the Bridges patents.

As shown in Fig. 11, two or more sets of buttons may be provided foreach valve where it is desirable to reduce the speed of rotation of thetimer. For instance, in Fig. 11 the rotation would be reduced toone-third or three revolutions per cycle. In that event the on buttons30, 30a, and 3015 would be at 120, 270, and 360, and the graduationsfrom 0 to 360 would be all within a 120 sector of the drum. Forinstance, the OE buttons 31, 31a, and 31b might be set at the graduationindicated as 5, and the three buttons are advantageously connectedtogether for simultaneous adjustment by being connected together by aring to which the inner shoes 33, 33a, and 33b are Welded or otherwisesuitably connected.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my timerfor container manufacturing machines and the steps of my method ofmanufacturing timers can be varied without departing from the realspirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover bymy claims any modified forms of structure, use of mechanical equivalentsor use of equivalent method steps which may reasonably be includedWithin their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. A plurality of valves to be actuated by a timer drum having a pair oftimer buttons, an actuator for each valve comprising a movable elementhaving a lost motion connection with the valve, the valve havingopposite limits of movement, toggle levers pivoted together at one endand to said movable element, and spring means connecting the other endsof said toggle levers with each other for constraining said movableelement to retain said valve at either of said limits, said spring meansbeing of overcenter type whereby said movable element may be moved pastcenter and said spring means will thereupon cause said toggle levers tomove it the rest of the way, the pair of timer buttons coacting withsaid toggle levers to move said movable element alternately in oppositedirections.

2. A plurality of valves to be actuated by a timer drum, an actuator foreach valve comprising a slide having a lost motion connection with thevalve, the valve having opposite limits of movement, a pair of togglelevers pivoted together at one of their ends and to said slide, meansguiding the other ends of said toggle levers in paths lateral to thedirection of movement of said slide, spring means connecting said otherends with each other and thereby constraining said slide to retain saidvalve at either of said limits, said spring means being of over-centertype whereby said toggle levers may be moved past center and said springmeans will thereupon move them the rest of the way, and a pair of timerbuttons on the timer drum for each valve and coacting with said togglelevers to initiate their movement alternately in opposite directions.

3. A plurality of valves to be actuated by a timer drum, an actuator foreach valve comprising a slide having a lost motion connection with thevalve, the valve having opposite limits of movement, spring meansconstraining said slide to retain said valve at either of said limits, apair of levers pivotally mounted on said slide and having ends extendingin opposite directions, said spring means connecting said ends togetherto pass over center relative to said pivotal mounting, and a pair oftimer buttons on the timer drum coacting with said levers alternately toswing them about their pivot mountings in opposite directions andthereby move said slide to over center positions whereupon said springmeans moves said slide the remaining distance to its limit of movementas determined by said valve in its opposite positions.

4. A plurality of valves to be actuated by a timer drum, an actuator foreach valve comprising a slide, the valve having opposite limits ofmovement, spring means constraining said slide to either of said limits,a pair of levers pivotally mounted and having ends extending in oppositedirections, said spring means connecting said ends together and thepivot for said pair of levers being operatively connected with saidslide to move the same, and a pair of timer buttons on the timer drumcoacting with each pair of said levers alternately to swing them abouttheir pivot mountings in opposite directions, thereby initiating theirmovement, said spring means eompleting the movement thereof.

5. A plurality of valves to be actuated by a timer drum, an actuator foreach valve comprising a slide having a lost motion connection with thevalve, the valve having opposite limits of movement, spring meansconstraining said slide to retain said valve at either of said limits, apair of levers pivotally mounted on said slide and having ends extendingin opposite directions, said spring means connecting said ends togetherto pass over center relative to said pivotal mounting, said levershaving actuating arms extending laterally therefrom and spaced axiallyof the timer drum, and a pair of timer buttons on the drum, one coactingwith one of said actuating arms and the other coacting with the otheractuating arm to alternately swing said levers about their pivotmountings in opposite directions and thereby move said slide to overcenter positions whereupon said spring means moves said slide theremaining distance to its limit of movement as determined by said valvein its opposite positions.

6. A plurality of valves to be actuated by a timer drum, an actuator foreach valve comprising a slide having a lost motion connection with thevalve, the valve having opposite limits of movement, spring meansconstraining said slide to retain said valve at either of said limits,3. pair of levers pivotally mounted on said slide and having endsextending in opposite directions, slot and pin connections guiding saidends in paths substantially normal to the direction said slide moves,said spring means connecting said ends together to pass over centerrelative to said pivotal mounting, and a pair of timer buttons on thetimer drum coacting with said levers alternately to swing them abouttheir pivot mountings in opposite directions and thereby move said slideto over center positions whereupon said spring means moves said slidethe remaining distance to its limit of movement as determined by saidvalve in its opposite positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,114,885 Jaekel Oct. 27, 1914 1,745,707 Perrett Feb. 4, 1930 1,828,126Brown Oct. 20, 1931 2,070,661 Hughes Feb. 16, 1937 2,194,243 Kronmilleret al Mar. 19, 1940 2,338,804 Drane Jan. 11, 1944 2,545,928 Martin etal. Mar. 20, 1951 2,596,330 Everard May 13, 1952 2,688,366 MorrisonSept. 7, 1954

